SIGN UP

Create an Inhabitat account

Sign up for weekly newsletter

I agree to receive emails from the site. I can withdraw my consent at any time by unsubscribing.

I agree to Inhabitat's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to the use of cookies described therein, and I also consent to the collection, storage, and processing of my data in the United States, where data protection laws may be different from those in my country.

Watch this amazing machine transform plastic bags into fuel

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a household appliance that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. A video shows Ito placing plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and other random bits of trash into a tabletop machine that melts them and condenses the gas released to produce usable oil. The highly efficient, non-polluting machine can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (but not PET bottles), and it can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power.

Photo credit: Blest Corporation

Ito’s inspiration for the method came from the simple realization that plastic bags are created from oil, thus they should be able to be converted back to their original form. The machine heats the plastic with electricity, then traps the vapors, which it then cools and condenses into crude oil. The crude oil can be used to heat generators and some stoves, and when refined, it can be used for gasoline.

When he first created the process, Ito explained that by converting plastic into oil, we eliminate CO2 pollution and raise the awareness of plastic’s fuel potential. When plastic is burned — a common way to recover potential energy sources — it generates a large amount of toxins and CO2.

While the end product is still a fuel that will be burned and give off CO2, the innovative recycling method could revolutionize the way certain plastics are treated. Because the system is made for households, it could create an energy independence among consumers, and lessen the need to extract more oil from the earth.

The carbon negative system is now being sold by Ito’s Blest Corporation. Unfortunately, the machine currently retails for about $10,000. But Ito hopes to bring that price down by increased production once the product becomes more widespread.

This is a toxic dirty energy con! Turning plastic bags into oil is just another fossil fuel burning technology..in the most crude and polluting way. This is not what our planet or our health needs at this critical time when we are facing catastrophic climate change. We need to stop making plastic not find new uses for it. If its so clean and easy to turn plastic bags into oil...then we should be recycling this plastic back into our materials production proceses so as to reduce (and ultimately) eliminate the raw materials extraction. This technology in the hands of the public who are not trained in incineration technologies will be a disaster. You can see he is putting styrofoam into the mix and the black smoke belching out will be highly toxic. This has the potential to cause significant risks to peoples health and will see recyclable plastics such as PET bottles wasted and turned into dirty fuel. There is nothing good about this story..sorry but has to be said...as too many green minded people are being fed a con and the climate change movement is being deceived into thinking this is a positive solution ...when it is most certainly not.

why is this not being mass produced! i know to many people who would buy this. price is high, but in mass in america, it would be bought and payment would be be easy. Dept of Agr might/might not approve but i still would buy it and use it.

CONGRATULATION Mr Ito, fantastic answer to platic polution we all suffer around the world, specially in under developed country as mine, El Salvador.
Is it possible for me to obtaing one machine to beging using it here localy ?
I would appreciate you kind responce to [email protected]
Congratulations again for a super creation.
Your truely

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito created a machine that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. The carbon negative system is now being sold by Ito’s Blest Corporation.
Ito’s inspiration for the method came from the simple realization that plastic bags are created from oil, thus they should be able to be converted back to their original form. The highly efficient, non-polluting machines can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene but not PET bottles, and they can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power. The machine heats the plastic with electricity, then traps the vapors, which it then cools and condenses into crude oil. The crude oil can be used to heat generators and some stoves, and when refined, it can be used for gasoline.
Read more: Japanese Inventor Akinori Ito Creates Machine That Converts Plastic Bags into Fuel Blest Corporation Machine Converts Plastic to Oil - Gallery Page 2 – Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

excellent inventor Akinori Ito, an effective step to save our earth, I happened one environmental activist in the movement to build the character to not make a habit forming plastic waste through SIBIOMASI program (System Management For Biopori and integrated). In the Unit of Work SIBIOMASI we need a tool like that you created. and we want to get the tool, how to get it and at what price?
I introduce Dady Hariadi, Founder of Pure Awareness Foundation in Indonesia, we are very concerned and want to make a successful motion sibiomasi.
the response and assistance we thank cation
sibimasi greetings, to save the earth

This is awesome. I want to purchase a few of these machines to protect our environment and to blow out the competition using this recycling method of plastic. This will also cure our ailing economy with cheaper gasoline prices - YA!!!

The article on new invention on plastic bags into fuel at home using the device named carbon negative system is appreciated by our Periyar Maniammai university,Thajavur, Tamilnadu, India.We are in need of plastic recycling instrument to cater the need of University. If it is availale withyou send working method Salient details and also quotation for the same for our reference.
By CE PMU

Well, I like the idea very much, but the price $10000 means one has to WORK HARD to buy the miracle-machine. But, alas: hard work means hard pressure on Nature! Therefore, the machine doesn't solve the problem. I think the processing can be cheaper. The end product shell not necessary be oil. There are other items we still need, like again - plastic items: bags, covers etc. What is very good about Dr. Ito is that he can make our planet a much cleaner and much more enjoyable place to live..

See the video about this invention on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Lg_kvLaAM

RELATED ARTICLES

{{category(n, postList)}}

Slideshow

Watch this amazing machine transform plastic bags into fuel

Photo credit: Blest Corporation

Blest Corporation Machine Converts Plastic to Oil

1 of 5

Akinori Ito demonstrates the machine to Japanese school children.

Photo credit: Blest Corporation

Blest Corporation Machine Converts Plastic to Oil

2 of 5

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a household appliance that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. A video shows Ito placing plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and other random bits of trash into a tabletop machine that melts them and condenses the gas released to produce usable oil. The highly efficient, non-polluting machine can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (but not PET bottles), and it can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power.

Photo credit: Blest Corporation

Blest Corporation Machine Converts Plastic to Oil

3 of 5

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a household appliance that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. A video shows Ito placing plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and other random bits of trash into a tabletop machine that melts them and condenses the gas released to produce usable oil. The highly efficient, non-polluting machine can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (but not PET bottles), and it can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power.

Photo credit: Kate Ter Haar

Plastic Bag Pollution

4 of 5

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a household appliance that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. A video shows Ito placing plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and other random bits of trash into a tabletop machine that melts them and condenses the gas released to produce usable oil. The highly efficient, non-polluting machine can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (but not PET bottles), and it can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power.

Photo credit: Zainub Razvi

Plastic Bag Pollution

5 of 5

Plastic bags have become the bane of our existence. They pollute our waterways, get tangled in trees and bushes, and take hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces. But Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a household appliance that converts the ubiquitous plastic annoyance into fuel. A video shows Ito placing plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and other random bits of trash into a tabletop machine that melts them and condenses the gas released to produce usable oil. The highly efficient, non-polluting machine can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (but not PET bottles), and it can convert 2 lbs. of plastic into a quart of oil using just 1 kilowatt of power.